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Resident asks board to consider retiring 'Blue Devil' mascot
Summary
A Brunswick resident urged the board to present options for replacing the 'Blue Devil' mascot to parents and students and to let the district vote after discussion; the board said it would not respond at the meeting but staff would follow up.
During the public comment period at the March 16 meeting, Denver West addressed the board about the school district mascot. West said the "Blue Devil," in use since 1947, can be offensive to large faith communities and asked the board to present the idea of choosing a new mascot to parents and students before bringing a vote.
"Even as a caricature, I do not believe a devil is a healthy positive image to project upon children," West said, citing recent local mascot changes to illustrate that communities have updated mascots for cultural sensitivity. He suggested alternatives including Blue Storm, Blue Lightning, Panthers or Blue Wave, and acknowledged there would be costs to a change.
Board Chair said it is not the board's practice to respond during public comment and that staff would follow up after the meeting. No formal board action was taken that night.
